114 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



however, I have never personally seen practised, 

 and so am unable to give any detailed descrip- 

 tion of them. 



The first black buck I ever killed was finished 

 off in such a novel manner, that it may not be 

 out of place to narrate the incident. 



I had but a short time previously landed in 

 India, after a weary five months voyage round the 

 Cape, and was on my way up country, with a draft, 

 to join my regiment, then stationed at Roorkee. 



Between Meerut and Roorkee there is a large 

 tract of flat, sandy country, in which antelopes 

 abound. 



I had no rifle, only a sixteen-bore muzzle-load- 

 ing shot-gun, and my youthful sporting ardour 

 was fired by the sight of countless herds of these 

 graceful antelopes. I had had many a futile shot 

 with the old gun, loaded with ball, but the dis- 

 tance always proved too great to result in success. 

 On this particular day, I had blazed away all my 

 bullets except one, which was in my left barrel, and 

 was returning to camp in moody silence, wishing, 

 oh ! so much, that my means would permit of my 

 indulging myself by buying a good rifle, when, as 

 I topped the brow of a low sandhill, a fine black 

 buck jumped up almost under my feet. 



Of course I let drive, and, to my delight, over 

 he rolled. But, alas ! my delight was only turned 



